Russia Says It’s in Touch with Israel and Palestinians, Wants to Help Solve Crisis 

This aerial photo show heavily damaged buildings following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 10, 2023. (AFP)
This aerial photo show heavily damaged buildings following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 10, 2023. (AFP)
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Russia Says It’s in Touch with Israel and Palestinians, Wants to Help Solve Crisis 

This aerial photo show heavily damaged buildings following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 10, 2023. (AFP)
This aerial photo show heavily damaged buildings following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 10, 2023. (AFP)

Russia said on Tuesday it was in contact with both Israel and the Palestinians and would seek to play a role in resolving the conflict between them.

Four days into the crisis that started with a deadly Hamas attack on Israel, the Kremlin did not present any concrete initiative but underlined the strength of its relations with both sides.

Moscow has long-standing historical ties with the Palestinians but also "a lot in common" with Israel, including the fact that many Israelis are former Russian citizens, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"Therefore, we maintain relations with both sides of this conflict. We conduct contacts and take part in all the - unfortunately few - formats that are looking for common ground for a settlement and which do not work very effectively, as recent practice has shown," he said.

"But nevertheless we intend to keep making efforts and play our role in terms of providing assistance to seek ways to a settlement."

Israel was on Tuesday pounding Gaza with the fiercest air strikes in the 75-year history of its conflict with the Palestinians, in response to the wave of deadly Hamas attacks at the weekend. Moscow has said it is worried that the violence could escalate into a broader conflict in the Middle East.

Peskov said the Kremlin was trying to establish whether any Russians were among the hostages taken by Hamas.

"The necessary contacts are being made in order to understand whether this is true or not and what the future fate of these people is," he said.

Peskov said a suggestion by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that it was in Russia's interests to stoke war in the Middle East to weaken global unity had "absolutely no basis".

"This is a long-standing conflict, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which has very deep roots, many deep contradictions. Many people know the backstory, but it is so deep that not everyone knows the nuances," he said.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.